Sagiv Yehezkel's winning goal one minute from time hands Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" their second league victory of the season

Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s arrived in Kfar Saba today for a tricky tie in matchweek 2 of the national Under-19 Premier League. After falling behind in the first half through a goal by Kfar Saba's Ben Ajobel, "Shachar" got back into the match after the restart and goals by Dor Jan and Sagiv Yehezkiel overturned the deficit to hand the visitors their second consecutive league victory..

Maccabi started the game a bit better than their rivals and after just two minutes, Dean Akafi and then Assaf Madar both came close to scoring.  It was after this good run of play though that a Maccabi error in the back four cost them dearly. Kfar Saba's Ben Ajobel took full advantage of the blunder and shot accurately into the corner of Maccabi keeper Gal Tovali's net to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage.  After falling behind, "Shachar" struggled to create chances while their opponents missed opportunities to increase their lead.  Ten minutes from the half-time whistle Maccabi's Daniel Gretz, who came on for the injured Daniel Schwartzboim, tried but failed to surprise Kfar Saba keeper Yoav Merani in front of goal.

In the second half, "Shachar" head coach Alon Turjeman introduced more attacking options and the run of play moved mainly in the direction of the Hapoel Kfar Saba goal.  Sagi Dror, Daniel Gretz and Sagiv Yehezkel all struck unsuccessfully from outside the area and six minutes past the hour mark right back Itam Shamai also tried his luck. His shot though was parried by the goalkeeper into the path of striker Dor Jan who pounced on the ball and scored his second goal in as many matches, drawing the teams level at 1-1. In the end Turjeman's attacking substitutions and the resultant increased pressure from Maccabi's Under-19s bore fruit and won the game. Just one minute from time, Almog Ohayon worked his way into the area and crossed sharply and accurately to Sagiv Yehezkel, who easily scored in front of an open goal to give Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" the lead. As Kfar Saba moved forward to find an equaliser, "Shachar" could have increased their lead with several menacing counter attacks but at the final whistle the score remained 1-2 in favour of the visitors.

For Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" it was their second consecutive victory as they prepare to host Beitar Jerusalem next Saturday in an attempt to maintain a positive opening to their 2012/13 season.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" lineup: Gal Tovali, Itam Shamai, Shachar Piven, Daniel Levy, Dean Akafi, Daniel Schwartzboim, Dor Peretz, Sharon Zisso, Sagi Dror, Assaf Madar and Dor Jan.

 

 

Dor Jan and Dor Peretz added to Daniel Gretz's opening goal and clinched victory in the champion's opening match of the season

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" opened the season on the right foot, beating their close rivals for last year's title, Beitar Tubruk.  Head coach Amir Turjeman's squad seemed up to the challenge from the start, as midfielder Daniel Gretz and striker Dor Jan scored within the first 20 minutes.  Despite a goal by the opposition, who scored from the spot before half-time, Maccabi's Under-19s held on to their one goal margin until injury time, when midfielder Dor Peretz sealed the final 3-1 result with a goal from close range.

After 10 minutes of testing the waters, the visitors were the first to make a threat on goal, but Maccabi keeper Gal Tovali deflected a close range header by Tubruk's Dor Malka. "Shachar" then took control of the game and two minutes later found the net with Daniel Gertz completing a good cross from team captain Dean Akafi.  With twenty minutes on the match clock, Daniel Levy was fouled in the area and Maccabi were awarded a penalty kick, which Dor Jan converted to double the home side's advantage.  Toward the end of the half the visitors broke forward and three minutes before halftime were also awarded a penalty, which Dor Malka converted to reduce Maccabi's margin to 2-1 as the referee blew the half-time whistle.

Despite several cooling breaks to counter the the increasing heat after the restart, the pace in the second half slowed considerably.  The visitors tried to penetrate Maccabi Tel Aviv's defences, but the back four held firm and responded with attempts to create rapid counter attacks at the other end.  Nevertheless, no significant chances were recorded until injury time, when Daniel Gretz found Dor Peretz in open space in front of goal and the midfielder sliced past the Tubruk keeper to finalise the score at 3-1.

In matchweek 2 next Saturday, Maccabi Tel Aviv  "Shachar" will set out for a tricky away tie against Hapoel Kfar Saba.

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" line-up: Gal Tovali, Itam Shamai (Tamir Avrahamian 77'), Dor Peretz, Daniel Levy, Dean Akafi, Daniel Schwartzboim, Daniel Gretz, Assaf Madar (Dror Sagi 58'), Amit Farhi (Sagiv Yehezkel 65', Roi Yair 89'), Guy Cohen (Amash Mansour 62'), Dor Jan.

 

 

Shortly before Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" open their new season, the champion's head coach, Amir Turjeman, takes time out to talk about the season ahead of him and his players. Watch the interview

This Saturday, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will open the 2012/13 season and launch their attempt to make history as the first Under-19 team to win three consecutive championships.  Last night, Amir Turjeman's players made a good start of the current season by winning their first title with a Super Cup victory over Ashdod FC. But Turjeman also knows that ending the season well with a championship title will not be an easy task and he spoke of the challenge ahead and of the team's objectives.  He went on to discuss the players' progress into the senior team, the many changes in the squad and how the team prepared for the new season during the summer months.

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Tonight's clash against State Cup winners Ashdod FC in the U19 "Super Cup" will be just the opening gambit in an intriguing 2012/13 season campaign for league champions Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar"

This coming Saturday, the National Under-19 Premier League season will get underway and champions of the past two years, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", are engaged in final preparations. Training began in the middle of last month and the team have played a number of friendlies against other clubs in the league. But the highlight of the pre-season was their training camp in Holland in the middle of this month during which head coach Alon Turjeman's charges participated in an international tournament with counterparts from such renowned clubs as Dutch sides AFC Ajax and AZ Alkmaar and the Brazilian Clube Atletico Paranaense.

After defeating last year's tournament winner Sparta Rotterdam (Holland) and two 1-1 draws against respectively Hungarian side Budapest Honved FC and AZ Alkmaar, who finished fourth in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, "Shachar" entered the semi-finals against second tier German Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig. After 90 minutes of goalless football the teams steeled up for a penalty shoot-out, which ended in a most unconventional fashion indeed. "Shachar" keeper Gal Tovali twice succeeded in saving Braunschweig's final spot-kick only to see the referee call for the penalties to be retaken. Only on the third attempt, also saved by Tovali, was the matter closed and Maccabi awarded the victory. Unfortunately, "Shachar" were not so fortunate in the final, a second meeting with AZ Alkmaar who ultimately won the tournament. But Maccabi's Under-19s can look back on a highly successful pre-season with good results against clubs of high quality.

Much like their senior team counterparts, who were drawn for the "match of the season" against Maccabi Haifa in matchweek 1 of the new season, Maccabi Tel Aviv's Under-19s will also open their 2012/13 campaign in spectacular fashion.  Beitar Tubruk, who last year finished third and must be considered serious contenders for this year's Under-19 title, will be league champion "Shachar"'s first guest when the season opens this Saturday. Much like last year, the first round of fifteen league encounters will conclude with the Under-19s own version of the "match of the season" against archrivals Maccabi Haifa. The much anticipated Tel Aviv derby against municipal foes Hapoel Tel Aviv will be played on Maccabi turf in matchweek 5.

The campaign to bring the title of the national Under-19 Premier League, established in 1994, for an historic third consecutive time back to Maccabi's Kiryat Shalom trophy cabinet is expected to be a great challenge indeed. "Shachar"'s squad have undergone a considerable number of changes, with five of last year's stars having made the big step to the senior team, a matter of great pride for the club. Top goalscorer Gael Margulies, Ben Ben Yair, first-choice goalkeeper Sapir Tselviansky and last season's two captains, Yagil Beton and Roslan Bersky, have all been welcomed into first team head coach Oscar Garcia's ranks for the coming season. In addition there are a number of players who are now beyond the Under-19 age limit or have found their way to other clubs.

Such significant squad alterations are nothing unusual for the Under-19s and Maccabi have a great deal of experience dealing with them. At the beginning of last season quite a number of outstanding players left the team to move on to other pastures, but despite expectations to the contrary Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" secured the 2011/12 Under-19 Premier League championship in most impressive fashion. Coming after the league and cup double of the 2010/11 season, the bar has now been raised significantly and jumping that hurdle will be all that more difficult. But let's not sell head coach Alon Turjeman and his capable crew short before the season has even started. No-one should be surprised if this year, too, the season will finish with Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" at the top of the Under-19 Premier League table.  

 

MTA's U19s will open their season at home against Beitar Tubruk and travel to last year's runners-up Maccabi Haifa in matchweek 15

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", national U19 Premier League champions two years running, are in high gear preparing for the 2012/13 season. With three weeks still remaining before the opening matches, the draw was held yesterday for this season's U19 fixture schedule and "Shachar"'s campaign for a third straight title will begin with an intriguing tie at home against Beitar Tubruk, who in the second half of last season proved to be Maccabi's main challenger for the title. Matchweek 3 will bring to Kiryat Shalom Beitar Jerusalem and two weeks later "Shachar" will have the privilege of hosting the season's first derby against municipal archrivals Hapoel Tel Aviv.

But despite this early run of high profile fixtures, the jewel in the crown will come only at the end of the first round of fifteen matches, when Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" will head north to face Maccabi Haifa in an almost complete copy of one of last season's most exciting encounters. In last season's final round-one fixture it was runners-up from the last two seasons Maccabi Haifa who headed south to Kiryat Shalom and relinquished a two-goal lead in the last minute of a match that ended in a 2-2 draw. That last-minute effort guaranteed that "Shachar" would finish the round without loss and propel them to the top of the table, a position they would not surrender before hoisting the championship trophy at the end of the season.

But for head coach Alon Turjeman and his team, the road to a third straight championship will be full of challenges. The squad have undergone a considerable number of changes, with the likes of such key players as Roslan Bersky, Gael Margulies, Ben Ben Yair, goalkeeper Sapir Tzelviansky and team captain Yagil Biton all having moved on to the senior squad. Attempting to fill their boots will be the talented youngsters from last year's Under-17 squad, who finished the season with an impressive league and Cup double. Yesterday a number of them already joined last season's Under-19 squad and returning on-loan players for a pre-season friendly against Hapoel Rishon Lezion, which "Shachar" won at a canter 2-0.

For the full season 2012/13 Under-19 Premier League fixture list click here

 

At an awards ceremony held this month by the Tel Aviv Sports Associations in the V.I.P. area at Bloomfield Stadium, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division, under the leadership of football director Nir Levin and manager Ariel Avraham, were singled out for special attention for their outstanding achievements during the 2011/12 season. In all, the Maccabi Youth Division won six championship and four Cup trophies, all of which are now proudly displayed in the trophy cabinet at the Youth Division's Kiryat Shalom training complex. This total of ten titles makes Maccabi Tel Aviv the leading youth division in the whole of Israel.

The conference of Tel Aviv Sports Associations, attended by the heads of all of Tel Aviv's football clubs, is held annually with a view to acknowledging the achievements of the outstanding and trophy-winning associations of the previous season and to evaluating the level of support for competitive sports in the upcoming season as well. Chairing the conference were Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai, Dr Uri Shefer, head of the Tel Aviv municipal sports department and Mr Alon Soler, chairman of the municipal sports committee and city council member, all of whom shared the task of presenting the awards to the outstanding associations, among them the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division. After the presentation of the award to Mr Levin, Dr Shefer had special praise for the Division, not only for the many titles they won last season, but also for their help in the realisation of the Associations' goal of increasing the number of athletes participating in competitive sports in the city. By continually recruiting new players each year, the Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Division are now also the largest in the country. 

 

 

 

 

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar" celebrated their second consecutive U19 Premier League title at an event held at the club's Youth Division complex

Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar", the flagship side of the Youth Division, have always been a source of pride at the club, and the 2011/12 season was no exception. Tonight at the Kiryat Shalom Youth Division training complex, the players and the entire professional staff – from coaches and management to the masseur and the coach driver – all celebrated a well-deserved second consecutive U19 Premier League title and marked the end of yet another successful season. In addition to the players and the professional staff, key personalities from the club, and from the Youth Division in particular, all attended the celebrations. As in years past, the festivities were honoured by the presence of the Brickman family, whose late son Shachar was chosen to have his name enshrined by the Youth Division's Under-19 squad, Maccabi Tel Aviv "Shachar". They were joined by two veteran and highly dedicated members of the Youth Division staff, Baruch Azarti and Yehuda Livni. "Shachar" head coach Amir Turjeman was in charge of presenting the 2012/13 summary display, which briefly told the story of the season from the league opener to the moment the championship trophy was lifted and the champagne corks started popping. The display was augmented by a video clip prepared by members of the squad themselves.

After all the members of the professional staff had spoken a word, each player received his own individual championship trophy. This year the annual event took on a particularly joyous character due to the wonderful memories it recalled, as each player also received a number of photographs of some of the more memorable moments of this most memorable championship season.  This was a championship  that was won almost "against all odds", due to the significant changes that had taken place at the beginning of the season from the title and Cup double winning squad of the previous year. But even by the high standards set by the 2010/11 season squad, a number of whom went on to the senior team in 2011/12, the current squad remained undaunted. Though the U19 State Cup may have escaped them, they remained unrivalled by any other team in the U19 Premier League, winning the title nine points ahead of their nearest opponent, Maccabi Haifa. Reason enough to celebrate.